Good story, great performance

Enjoyed this story a lot, there's a lot of changes in the plot over decades of time. I liked the pacing, the characters were interesting, capable and flawed. The narrator was great, there was never any doubt about who was speaking. I thought there was some odd editorial choices and it felt in a couple of places some scenes which I would have liked to hear about were cut and mentioned. Maybe it's the author's style, it's the first book of his I've bought. Overall great book and hoping there is a sequel.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Kazablanka

An engaging, imaginative story, with enough of a mystery to keep you turning pages to see how it would end, and continuous twists to raise interest at times when interest started to flag. Not the best science fiction I've encountered, but nonetheless enjoyable.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Good stand alone book

I really enjoyed this book, gripping start, some parts in the middle felt slow and it seemed to get really good three quarters through, then it finished too soon.
I feel like this book is just Alastair Reynolds flexing his muscles and I have to say it's impressive, the scope was mind bogglingly vast yet the story never gets too lost In the details. I sat for a long time thinking when it finished and I feel like I'm not ready to start another book for a little while until my mind has digested the story. It's a good book for a beginner reader of space opera, I like the way it was about one crew of one ship so It was easy for me to learn the characters and follow the story. I feel that it's been an exciting yet human story, I liked how most of the characters were professional even though everything was going to hell in a handcart, there was a lot of dignity given to us, humanity - more than we deserve I think.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Is it a pity that it had to end

A wonderful and compelling story that rivals any science-fiction novel. Would have been great as a series, however is still a great standalone novel.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Alastair Reynolds has an incredible imagination

I don't know how Alastair comes up with such original concepts and creates these incredible worlds and the people inhabiting them. Amazing ideas. Science driven plots and beyond epic scope. Psychological, philosophical and pushing physics to the limit. I feel lucky to have discovered his work. Not to be overlooked are John Lee's dramatic performances depicting these stories. Awesome combination.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Great story, not perfect audio book.

Great story, would purchase the sequel. Let down by the editing or something. Lack of pauses made it really hard to tell often where one part of story ends and another day/ character/ episode begins. Became quite confusing. Narrator OK but often couldn't tell who was saying what in a conversation. Shorter chapters probably would have helped with some of this, but that would be from how book was written and just a negative feature inherent in transferring to audio books.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Excellent

Really enjoyed this. Great story, dignified and interesting characters and an expansive world. It felt slow in some spots around the middle but then really picked up. Would love this as a series.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A marvellous standalone sci-fi

Reynolds has seriously created a marvel of sci-fi novels. It is well constructed, interestingly written, and full of strange and innovative ideas.

Lee, while initially not being my favourite narrator, is now very near the top of my list of narrators. His classical style of speech goes well with the voices and characters he portrays; his accents well placed and in all ways engaging and real.

Overall, a great book, a great story. Excellent for those who love sci-fi, or those who wish to invest in their first sci-fi novel.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Really amazing story

A story which moves, seeds hope and reason to work, learn. Highly recommended to everyone

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Great book, great narration, not great editing

Love Alastair Reynolds and love John Lee's narration. Story is great hard sci-fi, compelling character driven narrative, well written and well read. This audiobook's problem is the editing — someone has carefully, deliberately, edited out _every single pause_ in Lee's narration, removing every context change, dialogical hesitation, scene transition. It's terrible and disorienting, and means you have to replay sections to figure out why there was a weird discontinuity that you didn't catch. Really undermines Lee's great performance.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!